Upholstery pad



LE-ROY V. GORDON ET AL April 11, 1 933.

UPHOLSTERY PAD Filed June 26, 1930 w 7&4. swam Patented Apr. 11, 1933 LE-RoYv. eonno v, on CLEVELAND, AND-mo L. WILLIAMsoF OLEVELANDHEIGHTS,

UPHOLSTERY PAD 3 Application filed .Tune 26-,

This invention relates to methods of manufacturing upholstery padding adapted to be ment of the present invention;

built into upholstery so as to lie between the springs and the finish covering, and more particularly to padding of this character suitable for .use in upholstery which has a ribbed or pleated character,.such as seat backs of automobiles. 1 r

It is an object of the invention to provide upholstery padding which will accentuate the ribbed construction of the finished upholstery,and give the same a well defined columnar appearance, of uniform contour and smoothly roundedthroughout.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing continuous padding which may be cut to desired lengths for covering with finish material.

Another object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of upholstery padding, and to render the same economical to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes set forth.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent as the following description pro ceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure'l is a perspective view of upholstery padding according to thepreferred embodi- Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through a machine for manufacturing the padding shown in Fig. 1 and taken along the line 22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 4.t of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a section through the padding be fore the same is stitched; Fig. 6is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the paddingshown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6but showing a modified padding.

According to the present invention, the padding is manufactured by a substantially continuous method,.and produced as a roll or bolt .ofindeterminate length, which may be cut to, desired lengths for covering with finish material. Referring more particularly to 1930. s rin No. 463,556.

the drawing, continuous batslO are supplied longitudinally in substantially parallel uniformly spaced relation, forming a layer. While seven of these bats have beenjshown as constituting thelayer, ,itisto be understood that a greater "or less number'may be employed as desired. On oneside of this layer issupplied a backing sheetll which is also continuous in the sense that it is of indeterminate length, and may be supplied from alarge roll or bolt. {On the other side ofthis layer is supplied a'cover sheet 12 of indeterminate length. The cover sheet 12 is preferably widerthan thesheet 1 1, and is looped smoothly over the layer of bats l0 and I tucked down therebetween, and the cover sheet 12 and backing sheet 11 are securedto gether between the bats lO. Thus,in effect,

a continuous envelope is formed, havingsubstantially parallel longitudinally extending r pockets therein, which are filled with p'acking material simultaneously as thepockets.

are formed. 7 i J 1 When builtintothe padding as hereinbefore described, the bats ljO'will underlie the ribbed construction ofthe' outer finish cOV- ering of the upholstery andgivethe same the desired, ribbed or corrugated appearance. The bats 10 are continuous, tubularrelements of batting or the like constructed of resilient fibrous material, suchas cotton, hair, jute,

wood wool,or various combinations of these materials, although combination of very short staplejcotton and wood wool is preferred on account of the cheapness of thisimaterial. geneous cross-section, and may be advantageously employed without any reenforcement, thus avoiding the; necessity of continuous stripsof paper or the like runnin The bats are preferably of,homotherethrough, and withoutrequiring external binding, such as a reenforcing envelope of paper or fabric. 7 j v The backing sheet 11 is preferably of a coarsefabric, such as burlap, muslin or other suitable material, which is adapted to ens e' h spr g the up y a d tr n rnit stresses thereto from the padding, and to prevent the springs from i penetra ing the padding. i l r Q The cover which is spread over the bats may be a sheet of padding 12 which may be constructed of any of the materials given for V the bats 10 and may be reenforced as desired, the sheet 12 extending over a plurality of adjacent bats 10 and being stitched to the backing sheet 11 therebetween, as by lines of stitching 13. This sheet of batting 1s of considerable thickness, and gives body to the finished pad as a whole, and as it overlies the bats 10, it gives a smoothly rounded contour to the ribs of the finished padding.

Above the batting 12, is preferably provided a cover sheet of rough unfinished or liningmaterial 14 which is stitched to the backing 11 along with the batting 12 and serves to retain the, fibers of the batting 12. The sheet. 14 is preferably of loosely woven, open or net construction, and may be scrim, muslin,

cheesecloth'or the like, tobacco cloth being preferred forthis purpose. This feature is of considerable importance, as the construction of the bats 10 and batting sheet; 12 is necessarily loosely assembled fibers which may be easily disrupted in handling, and such holstery, a filler sheet 15 of batting, similar to sheet 12, may be interposed between the backing 11 and the batslO, and thus give the paddingconsiderably more body. 7

The padding may be manufactured by the machine illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. A table 16 is supported on a frame17 and carries vertical supports 18 at the sides thereof which carry transversely extending bars 19. Depending from the bars 19 are a plurality of slats 20 extending longitudinally of the table and depending toward the same, but clear thereof a sufiicient distanceto permit free passage ofthe backing 11. V Associated with the table 16 is; a gang -stitcher of known construction and of which only thepress er feet 21 and needles 22 are shown. These elements are located between the table 16 and a pair of coacting rollers 23 and 24 suitably driven so as to engage the finished padding therebetween and draw the 1 same from the machine. In the form shown,

the traction of these rollers 23 and 24 furnishes all of the power for feeding the various elements.

The backing sheet 11 is supplied from a roll 25 carried by a shaft 26 suitably supported by the frame 17. The bats 10 are supplied from rolls, not shown, or from contain- ,ers in which'they have been folded in a back- ,an'd-fort'h'manner soas to permit ready, continuous withdrawal therefrom. The bats 10 thus pass on to the backing sheet 11, which forms a carrier therefor. This arrangement is of advantage with bats which have little carried by a shaft 28 suitably carried by the I frame 17 above the'table 16. In the form shown, the cover sheet 14'has been placed on the batting 12 in the operation of manufacturing the batting, and wound therewith on the roll 27 so that the product of theeba'tting makingmachine may be merely mounted on the'shaft 28 and. fed therefrom into the machine according tothe present invention.

A presser roller 29 is located adjacent the: presser feet 21 and may be merely atubular element of the desired weight for holding down the various layers, but in the preferred embodimentshown, the roll 29 has collars 30 thereon, one-opposite each presser foot 21 so as to depress portions ofthecover 12 or 14 between the bats 10 to facilitate the stitching of the sheets together by the needles 22 between the bats 10. i r

The slats 20 guide and space the batslO uniformly and accurately a sufficient distance to'permit the bats tospread slightly'from the elliptical form shown in Fig. 5, and taper down to a fine edge at each side, as shown in'Figs. 6 and 7, and still leave, clearance therebetween so as to'avo'id overlappingor bun ching under the needles 22. i v

The padding manufactured as described above, when cut into desired lengths to fit respective automobile seat backs, may be covered with upholstery finish material 1 by stitching the same thereto adjacent the lines of stitching 13. The finish material maybe folded back and stitched again to conceal the first stitch, and so on across theseatback,

thus providing hidden stitching.

The ribs of this padding are of the proper shape for the purpose intended, uniform in contour and resiliency. The batting 12 or 15 provides sufficient mat togive body to.

the padding as a'whole. The sheet of batting '12, as it is pressed down over the bats10 and stitched to the backing 11, serves to slightly compress the bat evenly all around and at the same time a slight tension is set up in the batting 12 over the bat. Thus there is a thinning of the batting 12 at each side of the bat 10, which results in giving more of a crown to the rib of the finishedpadding.

Furthermore, the batting 12 also serves to fill in and smooth out anyunevenness or "irregularity in the bat 10. Thus the batting 12 not only furnishes added material to build upthe crown and fill in voids or depressions in the bat 10, but also tends to confine and shape the bat, so that the finished ribs are smooth and uniform incontour.

The continuous method of manufacture re} sults 111 speed of production, and reduces manufacturing costs, as well as contributes to the uniformity of the product, as to spacing, resiliency, and contour. Furthermore, these advantages are accomplished by the use of staple materials, simple operations and machinery, and an economical amount 0 power and labor. i I

While several embodiments of the inven= tion have been illustrated and described in such detail as to enable any one skilled in the art to practice the invention, nevertheless it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed other than as necessitated by the development of the prior art, but, instead, it is to be understood that the invention embracessuch embodiments of the broad idea as fall within the scope of the appended claims, it being obvious that various modifications, substitutions and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. Upholstery padding comprising a backing sheet, a sheet of batting, bats between said sheets, and lines of stitching connecting said sheets between said bats.

2. Upholstery padding comprising a backing sheet, a cover sheet, a layer of batting and a layer of bats between said sheets, and lines of stitching connecting said sheets and batting between said bats.

V 3. Upholstery padding comprising a backing sheet, a layer of bats on said backing sheet, a layer of batting over said bats, and a sheet of retaining material over said batting, said sheets and batting being stitched together between said bats.

4:. Upholstery padding comprising a backing sheet, a sheet of netting, a layer of bats and a layer of batting between said sheets,

said sheets and batting being secured together between said bats.

5. Upholstery padding comprising a sheet of burlap, a layer of closely spaced parallel preformed tubular bats of resilient fibrous padding material extending longitudinally of said burlap, a transversely and longitudinally continuous layer of batting over said bats, a sheet of tobacco cloth over said batting, said burlap, batting and tobacco cloth I being stitched together between said bats.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix our signatures.

LE-ROY V. GORDON. LEO L. WILLIAMS. 

